Release 1643 is an urgent follow-up to r1641, both of which address the
editing of step values.  R1641greatly improved the accuracy of that editing
and reduced the number inappropriate error messages beyond what we
saw in r1636.  In terms of one-time reporting of current invalid steps, we
saw reductions to one fifth to one tenth of the original error report size.

Unfortunately two problems remained, which now are corrected in r1643:

- The EAPP function abended "on F5 when adding an appointment and
   distribution with an academic title, or when modifying the distribution
   step for an appointment with an academic title for an UNC employee."

- The replacement one-time program performed the wrong type of
   PPTCTUTL call and thus could report an error when none existed -- if
   the title code did not have both covered and uncovered rates.

Several of our sites for whom we had installed r1641 reported the EAPP
problem and we were able to obtain pre-release versions of PPEC051
and PPEI053 to install on a temporary basis.  They have therefore been
tested in the real world and have been confirmed to have cured the EAPP
problem.

A new, improved one-time step error reporting program, PPOT1643, is
issued in this release.

There are no table updates.

R1643 is designated as urgent if r1641 has already been installed.  That
would be for all sites but San Diego.  For SD we should consolidate the two
releases (but will need ok's for them individually for our records) and
install
the latest versions of the code in production.  We would run PPOT1643
rather than PPOT1641.

May we have your ok to install?  Those sites with the severity of message
08-721 lowered to warning level can leave it that way for a while until you're
sure that all's well, and when you give us the go-ahead, we'll raise it back
up to reject level.

   bvb